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Saturday, October 8, 2011

Yummy, Homemade Applesauce

Have you ever had homemade applesauce?? Ever?? I never had it before I got married. EVER! Ya see, I was raised on "fish sticks and tater tots".

Why did she put that in quotes? --you may be thinking.

Well here is why. When I was growing up if it came from the frozen food section and basically could be heated up in the oven, it was called a meal. There was no real cooking in our house. My mom could cook, she just rarely did. I think she made a pot roast a few times...oh and she would cook Thanksgiving dinner, but for the rest of the year..."fish sticks and tater tots"...or take out.

Sorry, I tend to ramble!

So, I got married. My mother in law was a canning fiend...a FIEND, I tell you! Now she is more of a "fish stick and tater tot" kind of gal, but oh did she can when I first met her. And her applesauce...SO GOOD! chunky applesauce...smooth applesauce....any homemade applesauce. YUM YUM YUM!

I now can our own applesauce...not every year...I am lazy...but I am trying to get better! So here is the recipe...easy peasy man!

Yummy Homemade Applesauce!
There is no real recipe or measurements (which I LOVE!!)

Ingredients
Apples. I bought a a bushel of apples to use
Water. (ummm...just enough to cover the bottom of the pan...a cup maybe?)
(NO SUGAR NEEDED!!!)

Directions:
-Peel and core apples (I have a cool little gadget that does it for me!)
-Cut out any bruised areas
-Throw in a big pot that has the water in it (or add the water after..don't matter!)
-Cook on whatever heat you want...and keep smooshing down.
-When all the pieces are soft, put in a blender and blend to the consistency you want
-Pour into canning jars (my blender has a spout so I put the canning jar under and pour it right into the jar!)
------Remember to have the jars sitting in simmering water (along with the lids) to get them sterilized.
-Process in a hotwater bath for 10 minutes.
-Remove and wait for the "POP!" and store! (one bushel made about 11 quarts!)

In the past for fun, I have taken dehydrated strawberries and blended into strawberry powder and added to the applesauce before canning. This is soooo good and much healthier than the strawberry applesauce they sell in the store! This year I dehydrated blueberries to try to make blueberry applesauce. Hope it tastes just as good!